Modern dental care facilities include one or more work stations or operatories where dental procedures are performed on the patient and where a suction or evacuator device is provided to remove water, tooth chips, and other fluid entrained debris from the patient's mouth during the procedure. For example, during drilling and filling of tooth cavities, tooth chips and debris are generated in the patient's mouth. Water typically is sprayed on the tooth being repaired to facilitate the procedure. The water and tooth chips and debris entrained in the water are removed during the procedure by an aspirator tip placed in the mouth and connected to a central suction or evacuator device that may service all of the operatories. The suction device typically comprises a suction fan or blower associated with a central collection tank of limited capacity (e.g. 5 gallons or less) into which the water, tooth chips, and other debris are drawn and collected.
Many commercially available suction devices require regular cleaning and maintenance. Liquid waste evacuated from the patient's mouth enters the inlet pipe and is released from the inlet pipe to the holding tank which causes the liquid waste with entrained solid debris to splatter and adhere onto the sides of the tanks such that dismantling and cleaning of the tank is required to remove the adhered tank wall waste. Methods intended to alleviate the problem of debris adherence include filtration or collection in a reservoir, but these methods still require regular cleaning and maintenance of the tank as liquid waste remains on the walls.
Other disadvantages of prior dental suction devices include inadequate drainage of the collection tank, possible overheating of the motor, and bothersome motor location.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved dental suction device that overcomes these disadvantages of commercially marketed dental wet/dry suction devices and provides a suction device that includes a self-cleaning collection tank.